Ancient beer is returned

150-year round trip

“The world was a very different place when it started out on its journey from Wellpark to Geelong. Melbourne was only a small town. Both it and Geelong, where I was born, were only just over 30 years old.”

A 150-YEAR-OLD bottle of Glaswegian beer has been hand delivered to the brewery where it was first poured, after being discovered by a Geelong diver.

Hamlyn Heights diver Jim Anderson flew to Glasgow in Scotland earlier this year to return the ancient alcoholic artefact, which has now been placed on display at Tennent’s Wellpark Brewery.

The brewery has also recreated the stout found in the 150year-old bottle after finding its old recipe, releasing 1868 bottles of the reproduction.

Mr Anderson, a Geelong Skindivers Club member, discovered the ancient bottle while diving at the Light of the

JIM ANDERSON

Age shipwreck in the 1970s. He took a few pictures of the bottle before storing it under his house and forgetting about it until the mid 2000s.

Earlier this year he handdelivered the bottle — which is now a registered Commonwealth Australia artefact — back to its brewer with the permission of the Federal Government.

“To think that this is possibly the oldest bottle of beer in Scotland is something I find difficult to comprehend,” Mr Anderson said.

“It has been on the other side of the world for so long, and now it’s home again 150 years later. It’s lovely to think that something I found is such a significant part of Scottish history. I’m thrilled to bits to see it here.

“The world was a very different place when it started out on its journey from Wellpark to Geelong. Melbourne was only a small town. Both it and Geelong, where I was born, were only just over 30 years old.

“This little bottle is a reminder of the historic connection between Australia and Scotland, too. I hope people enjoy seeing it and think about those days and the distance it travelled before I found it. It has come home and brought me with it.”

The Light of The Age, carry- ing salt, slates, pipes, preserves and liquor, sank just outside Port Phillip Heads in January 1868.

An investigation found that the captain had been drunk for much of the voyage, and had taken the ship off course, running it aground. The wreck was never fully salvaged as heavy seas caused the ship to break up on the sea bed.